Gaming Guru

Negreanu front and center on Day 2A

LAS VEGAS -- Daniel Negreanu was front and center Friday at the featured TV table, so ESPN must have been sweating when "Kid Poker" moved all-in 15 minutes into play.

On a board reading Q-9-4-A, Negreanu and Adam Fisher traded bets until Negreanu put his tournament life at stake. Never one to do it quietly, he was chatting it up with the other players and talking with his hands while Fisher pondered the call.

Fisher had Negreanu covered but would be severely short-stacked if he made the call and lost the pot. As Fisher shuffled his chips, a crowd of about 100 stood both in the overhang above the table and in the stands surrounding it.

When Fisher made the call and both he and Negreanu flipped their cards, the room erupted in cheers. Fisher showed A-J, while Negreanu showed A-Q for top two pair. Negreanu stayed alive and doubled-up to more than 50,000 in chips as the crowd voiced its approval.

When the dealer started shuffling cards to begin the next hand, the crowd moved out as quickly as it came in. Negreanu finished the day with 27,900 chips.

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David Alan Grier was the only notable actor to play on Day 2A, and it didn't take him long to be the only notable actor to be eliminated on Day 2A.

It didn't take long for Daniel Negreanu to make a major play. (photo by Dan Igo)

The former "In Living Color" star began Friday with only 5,300 in chips. About 20 minutes before the first break, Grier moved all-in pre-flop and was called by two other players.

After the hand was dealt, all three showed their hole cards. Grier's pocket sixes couldn't hold up against a pair of aces. He shook hands at the table and made his exit.

As he was leaving, a few fans gave him a round of applause.

"Thank you, sir," Grier said with a smile.

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Jack Link's Beef Jerky is the WSOP's main sponsor this year, and is offering a special promotion where someone who ends up with quad jacks as a final hand wins a prize package worth over $100. But at least one table was confused on the details on the promotion.

During the first level, a player in the Pavilion hit quad kings to win a good-sized pot. The table cheered as the player collected his chips.

"Where's the beef jerky?" another player asked.

A tournament official, who happened to be right behind the table, informed the player that the only way to win the prize pack was to hit quad jacks because the sponsor was aptly named Jack Links.

"Ahh, I thought it was quad jacks or better," the player remarked.

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"Miami" John Cernuto's seat remained empty during Day 2A. (photo by Dan Igo)

"Miami" John Cernuto missed Day 2A of the WSOP Main Event, and no one is quite sure why -- though health reasons appear to be the prime suspect.

Cernuto's chip bag was draped over Seat 2 at one of the secondary featured tables and his chips were blinded and anted out. Cernuto started the day with a below-average stack of 25,300 chips.

Before reports concerning Cernuto's health started to filter in, Cernuto's disappearing act brought back memories of Vinnie Vinh's infamous run in a 2007 WSOP tournament. Vinh finished the first day of a $2,500 no-limithold'em as the leader with $200,000 in chips. Vinh decided to skip out on Day 2 and let his chair do the playing for him.

The chair finished in 20th place to win $16,232.

As for Cernuto, some reports said he was sick and stayed home, while other reports said he was in a Las Vegas hospital. Last year Cernuto collapsed during a Razz event at the WSOP and had to be hospitalized.

Cernuto's stack finally blinded out after the sixth hour of play.

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The only Playboy Playmate of the Year left in the WSOP Main Event was eliminated before the dinner break. Sara Jean Underwood, the 2007 winner of the prestigious award, had a successful Main Event but lost a coin-flip to bust out on Day 2A.

Short stacked, she moved all-in with A-Q and the player to her right called. Her table was immediately overrun with TV cameras, media members and other players.

Her opponent showed 4-4, and eventually hit a set to knock out the knockout.

Underwood gracefully exited the Pavilion and a noticeable silence fell over the table as they watched her leave.

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